Merseyside Hospital Volunteer
1797. Calvin Gover
Calvin Gover, from Merseyside, is an Armed Forces veteran who has volunteered over 1,500 hours across St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals.
Calvin first began volunteering with the hospitals in January 2017 with the Emergency Department. When the Coronavirus outbreak started, he was first to offer his time and has been central to the organisation in supporting their Coronavirus response. Calvin has supported the hospitals in multiple roles, volunteering as a vaccination marshal, patient befriender, major incident volunteer and tour guide for student doctors. At the peak of the pandemic, he worked at the hospital three days a week arriving at 7am to hand out face masks to people arriving in A&E.
In a personal letter to Calvin, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I want to thank you for your service to our nation and now your service to others by volunteering over 1500 hours for St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals.
“More than ever, we have all relied upon that fantastic community spirit to perform exceptional acts of civic duty.
“From your work volunteering as a marshal, ensuring the smooth rollout of the vaccination programme in your community, to being someone with whom having a conversation and providing a listening ear, is making a tremendous difference to a patient’s wellbeing as a befriender. I am lost in admiration for people like you.”
Calvin said:
“I was very shocked but also very honoured to be selected for this award. It is a privilege to be part of our volunteer service and I hope to be part of it for many years to come. Volunteering has enabled me to be part of a team that serves the community in many ways and scenarios.”